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Here and There on the Turf Bowie Meeting Big Winner Public Approval of Gate Sought Swope Wants Higher Purses Whopper After Sprint Victories With the weather doing its part splendidly, the first third of Bowies nine-day spring meeting was much more successful than even the managements fondest hopes, and when the close is reached Saturday the hooks will show the most attractive set of figures in quite a few years. The wagering reached the 435,357 mark on Saturday to bring the average up to 30,564, as compared with 52,357 in 1936, the latter average representing four days. This is an increase of about thirty per cent and indications are hat it will be maintained to the end, especially if the weather is good. Bowies racing has brought out horses with which the public is familiar, some of the events for two-year-olds having failed to fill, and the patrons have taken advantage of the improved train service from Baltimore and Washington over the Pennsylvania Railroad. Featuring the final program is the ,000 added Southern Maryland Handicap, at a mile and one-sixteenth, which promises to attract a medium sized but well-matched field, including Calumet Dick, which has improved considerably for E. R. Bryson. The former Calumet Farm campaigner proved his fitness for the handicap through his victory Saturday over Mucho Gusto and New Deal, the two Araho Stable hopefuls which were first and third in the Rowe Memorial Handicap on opening day. A muddy track should improve Mucho Gustos chances for the longer race. Bright Light and Kenty are other likely starters in the Southern Maryland, but very probably the post of favoritism will be assumed by cither Calumet Dick or the Araho entry. Herbert Bayard Swope, chairman of the New York State Racing Commission is of the opinion the public should have the opportunity to pass on the Australian barrier, will not be able but he believes the patrons and its use accurately to appraise the apparatus enough unless starts of older horses are made from it. In other words, Swope would have a race or two started daily in front of the grandstand at Jamaica, because very few events at Belmont Park or Aqueduct have their starting points on the front stretch. Older horses are easier to start than the youngsters, as they are less likely to be bothered by minor occurrences and, also, are easier to handle. If such trials show that excellent walk-up starts of older horses can be obtained, then there will be ample reason for continuing the education of two-year-olds to break in this manner. The New York chairman foresees a banner season on the metropolitan circuit and he is hopeful the associations will see their way clear to adopt a minimum purse policy of ,000. If this basis isnt selected this season, he hopes it will be a certainty in 1938. Swope also is anxious to see the elimination of guaranteed stakes in which the horsemen strive for their own money. These events increased greatly in number when New York racing was struggling to exist, but they have been dropping out gradually so that only a minor number remain, most of them at Saratoga. If the Union Avenue course finds its extensive program of improvements was well worth the expenditure, elimination of guaranteed stakes may be forthcoming for the 1938 meeting. Whopper, Hal Price Hcadlcys giant, which has been freshened up following his unsuccessful try for the Widener Challenge Cup, is now at Havre de Grace, where he hopes to bag the Harford Handicap, the inaugural feature. If Whopper comes out of that six furlongs engagement in good enough condition he will hurry to New York to start in the Paumonok Handicap over a similar distance at Jamaica on Thursday. When sharp. Whopper is as keen a sprinter as there is in the country, which was proven in his record-breaking victory in the HIaleah Inaugural Handicap, in which he was forced to come from far back. The Hal Price Headley star suffered a couple of severe cuts in the Widener running, but they have healed nicely and he has been undergoing speed work for several weeks at Kecneland, shipping to Havre de Grace on Sunday.
